Wild Horses
by Sand n' Sable
Summary: The BAU welcomes Aaron back to work after his stay in the hospital and recovery. It's a time for family, it's a time for fun.


**A/N-This is a one shot I had, I'm sorry for the length of it but I had to capture the correct atmosphere of the story. Please, read and enjoy!**

Hotch stepped into his office for the first time since he was in the hospital. He looked around, nothing had changed, maybe an extra gleam from the rigorous cleaning, he imagined Garcia being sergant-in-arms to the cleaning women. He looked at his desk and noticed that there was work on there but he noticed that there was even less than there should be, even when he divided the work with Agent Cruz. He walked to his desk, put his briefcase on his desk, looked at a picture of Jack in his soccer uniform, another one of Jack with his mother then he looked at the one he had of Beth. He smiled at all the warm, loving people in his life.

He opened his briefcase and took out what papers, folders and a pen he had in there. He looked around then he looked out his office window and down at the "bullpen", he saw Blake at her desk working on what papers she had, he looked over at Spencer who was carefully reading what papers he had and Aaron knew without even asking that young Doctor Reid would have those papers memorized down to the very dot of every i and the crossing of the T's. He looked across the way, saw his best friend Dave Rossi in his office, he was on the phone and he could swear that he could read Italian obscenities on Dave's lips. He softly chuckled then saw Morgan walking down the steps to go ask Spencer something. He could just imagine JJ swimming in paperwork on her desk then he picked up his phone, pushed a button then said, "Garcia."

She picked up the phone immediately and in Garcia fashion, she said, "Yes, my recovering boss?" You could hear the bubble of happiness that covered those words then Hotch replied back, "Could you come in here please?" Garcia quickly replied in the same bubbly voice, "I shall be there soon." She hung up and it was only a few minutes later that she knocked on the door. Hotch looked up and saw the BAU's technician, there she stood in a bubble gum pink top with a ruffled collar and lime green shirt, psychedelic heels then Hotch said, "Garcia...first let me say thank you on the extra cleaning of my office."

Penelope beams with happiness then she said, "I just wanted you to come back to shiniest sir."

He smiled then said, "I'm not sure if that's a word but again, thank you." Then he looked down at his desk then said, "There seems to be a less amount of folders on my desk than usual."

Penelope straightens up and a dead set look that came in her eyes then she said, "That sir, comes from orders even higher than you, higher than any directive from the head haunches at BAU...your doctor. And I sire, as a lowly servant, intend to see that orders are carried out. Agent Cruz is happily talking on the bulk of the work with Agent Rossi helping out which is why we are all getting a impromptu lesson in colorful Italian words, so, has per orders you are only allowed at most a dozen folders on your desk and you may not see her but JJ, our Barbie Ninja agent is stalking these very halls and IF you even attempt to do anything more than what is in this office, well she has orders to do excensive force."

Penelope then smiled like a Cheshire cat and Hotch looked at her and thought about saying words of protest but he thought better so he said,

"Thank you Garcia. I'll call if I need anything else."

She nodded her head then turned to leave, back in the office, Hotch slowly let a smile come out then he turned around in his chair to face the windows but he didn't look at anything in particular, just had to hide his face from anybody who might see. He was actually laughing.

(((oOo)))

As the morning went on, it was quite uneventful, occasionally Morgan or Blake would poke their heads in to say 'Welcome back', 'Don't work to hard' or something. Agent Cruz came by to tell him that he would be consulted on cases but for awhile they didn't want Hotch going out. He started to protest but when he looked at the pictures of Jack on the edge of the desk, he just considered it best. Somehow, he thought, it's not like he wanted any fanfare but...it just seemed like...he had warm welcomes but...well, he had to get back to work.

A while later, everybody was starting to gather in the bull pen to get ready to go to lunch. Hotch had come down from his office. Blake grabbed her purse , Morgan was coming, Reid was already there and looking around. JJ was walking from her office when they heard a loud voice,

"All right! If I don't get a break now, I'm quitting!"

They all turned around to see Dave coming out from his office like fire was behind him and Blake asked, "Hard morning?"

Rossi told her with his hands rolling, "Hard doesn't even begin to cover it. Now, I am in the mood for pizza and I do not want to even look at this place for the next few hours!"

Rossi wanting just pizza for lunch surprized everybody, they all cocked their eyebrows then JJ said, "Pizza?"

Reid shrugged his shoulders then said, "We could go to _Agretti's pizza_ around the corner..."

Rossi threw his finger out, pointing at Spencer then he said, "Auuuuunh! We go to _Sole's pizza_, understood?"

Everybody smiled then nodded their head then Blake said, "_Sole..._that's the BEST pizza in the city!"

Spencer then said "_Sole's _is the only real brick burning pizza place around here, there's not another one until you go to Texas."

JJ then said, "We would like to take Henry there but it's just so expensive; maybe for his birthday."

Dave made a growling sound then said, "May we go now and talk on the way? I would like to get out of here before my next birthday."

Morgan put on his jacket then said, "We're going, you don't have to ask me twice."

JJ then snickered then said, "He's such a grouch."

Rossi looked at her then said, "Yeah, well, you talk to a bunch of _idiotas_ for 4 straight hours and see how you are!"

JJ looked up at him, smiled condensing then said, "Oh, I do that all the time, I just don't get as grouchy as you."

Dave looks at her with daggers in his eyes and he signals for her to walk on . Everybody else just snickers behind her.

(((oOo)))

They walk up to the building that is covered in warm, brown stones and is built in the image of a large Italian villa, a wrought iron bench is sitting by the door, beautiful plants decorate the outside with a large fountain in front of some large picture windows, in the middle of the fountain is a statue of a female Italian worker holding a large clay pot with water flowing from it. They see a sign over the door that said,_ Benvenuto to Sole !_ Everybody looked at each other and smiled. Rossi opened the door to let the women in first then each one of the men come in and as they stand around waiting for the hostess, their noses are filled with the rich aroma of pizza's cooking in their brick ovens. They detect the gorgeous smells of garlic bread, beautiful Italian spices and yummy cheeses then, a tall brunette woman comes over to them and she said,

"Hello, smoking or non-smoking?"

Rossi then stepped up then said, "We would like a room in the back please, as far from the crowds as possible."

She then said, "Yes sir, follow me please."

JJ then said to him, "Wow Rossi, you must really be tired of working."

He shrugged his shoulders then said, "It's not work, it's dealing with people."

Hotch then said, "Maybe we should leave you alone."

Rossi shook his head vehemently then said, "You're not people, you're family."

They all looked at each other and smiled. They followed the hostess down the hall to a room on the left then the woman said, "We don't use this room much but we do keep it clean."

She opened the door and all you could see is a dark room then she said, "Excuse me, a fuse must have blown, the lights and your waitress will be with you in just a moment."

She leaves and the small group of BAU agents look around confused but then the lights come on and Aaron saw the rest of the agents gathered around clapping and whistling...a large sign hangs above them than said, "Welcome back Agent Aaron Hotcher." The ones closet to him turn to him with laughter and he said, "You guys did good acting."

They all laugh than Dave said, "Well, I threatened them pretty good."

Morgan walked up then said, "We thought about doing this at the office but we wanted this to be more in a family way."

Hotch smiled then he said, "You guys are great, I don't know how else this could be better."

Dave gently rocks on his toes then he said, "I do."

He walked to the other side of the room where the other agents are, agent Cruz and agent Anderson moved to the left and right side like water parting and there is Jack, Hotch's son and Henry, JJ's little boy and they come running in excitement, Jack said, "Dad!" Henry then said, "Uncle Aaron! Mom!"

Aaron bends down to hug them both then Henry ran over to his mother then when Aaron and his son break, he asked with tears starting to form in his eyes, "What about school?"

Jack then smiled a mile and a half wide then he said,

"It's a half day dad! Teacher meeting!"

Hotch looked at his son, cocked his eyebrow and teasingly asked, "Should I be expecting a phone call?"

Jack rolled his eyes then said, "Dad!" They then hug tightly again then Hotch stood up and said, "I, I don't know what to say but...thank you."

Dave than said, "We are going to have a scrumptious meal then Garcia has provided dessert."

They all turned to look at Penelope as she stood beside the white table up in front of the room then she walked a bit to the side to show a rather large sheet cake. Hotch, Rossi and the other members of the team walk up and they see 7 horses on the cake made of fondout. There's a white horse with a pink mane and tail and swirls of bright rainbow colors cover the middle of the horse and she stood off to the side watching carefully over her group . A black horse with silver stripes around the body stood proudly in the middle, a midnight black quarterhorse, another horse that is chestnut brown with specks of grey all over. A cute, little brown Shetland pony with a dark brown mane then finally a golden horse with a yellow mane stands beside two smaller colts then a stong red horse standing beside her.

They all laugh than JJ said, "Well, you can tell who is Garcia!"

Everybody continues to laugh until tears nearly come then Penelope said, "I had to make sure that you didn't miss the magic of me!"

She gave a 'ta-dah' type of pose then Morgan points to the tall, midnight black horse then he asked, "Is that me Baby girl?"

She looked at the horse then said, "Of course my love, you only get magnificent beasts to portray greatness."

Morgan laughed all the way to his soul then Spencer spoke up and asked, "Should I be offended by you having me be the smallest of horses?"

Morgan puts his arms lovingly around Spencer then said, "No, Pretty boy, they all love him, don't you see it?"

Jack stood by looking at the little colts then he said, "Momma! That one is you and there I am!"

All of them laugh then Blake asked, "Where did you get this idea Garcia?"

Garcia looked at Aaron then said, "Oh, it just came to me, I get these brilliant shots of greatness."

As Penelope looked at Hotch, she remembers the both of them in the hospital that day when he woke up, his eyes where still groggy but the first thing he asked for was his phone to call and check on Jack then she said that she was going to go call everybody and let them know he was okay then he said, _"Thanks for staying Garcia." She smiled at him and said, ' Oh sir,Wild horses sir...wild horses.' "_

Nobody else has to know that moment between them and everybody go on to enjoy the celebration and family time.

**translations of Italian words**

_**Idiota-Idiot**_

_**Sole-Sunshine**_

_**Benvenuto-Welcome**_


End file.
